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The surprising hair colour that suits everyone

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With the rise in temperature comes an inevitable urge to ditch the darker hair colour that’s seen you through the winter months and opt for a lighter and brighter hue. And while you likely default to adding a scattering of highlights throughout your strands to liven-up your look, we’re here to tell you a golden shade isn’t your only option when considering a hair change. In fact, a surprising new hair colour trend has emerged in recent years, with everyone from Rita Ora, Julianne Hough and Kate Bosworth all jumping on the bandwagon.

If you’ve previously dismissed giving an auburn or copper hue a go out of the fear it will clash with your skin tone, eye colour or perhaps your personality, it’s time to reconsider. As it turns out, red hair is one of the most universally flattering hair colours.

“There are so many types of red out there, so absolutely anyone can be a redhead so long as you find the right shade for you,” says celebrity stylist and founder of her own eponymous hair care line, Kristin Ess (who also happens to be a redhead herself). “Not everyone has to be copper. You can be strawberry blonde, opt for a deeper and richer tone of red or even a bright orangey shade,” says Ess.

The best way to choose the right shade is to let your skin tone lead the way. If you have fair skin, anything from strawberry blonde to a bright orangey-red or copper will work, however, try to avoid particularly dark reds as they can wash you out. If you have medium-toned skin then you’re free to rock more highly-pigmented shades of red. Just remember to select golden and auburn colours rather than cooler tones, as warmer hues will work wonders to brighten your complexion. Last but not least, the darker your skin the better suited you are to blue and purple-based reds like berry or wine-coloured dyes.

If you’re still a little hesistant, Ess says the best thing to do is chat with your hairdresser. “Discussing any colour change with your hairdresser is vital to ensure you walk out with the colour you want, especially when going red. I once dyed Lauren Conrad’s hair red and the only way she thought she would be able to pull off the colour we ended up going with was to show her what she’d look like with a wig.” While it might add a bit of time to your hair appointment, a thorough consultation prior to having any colour applied is essential if you want to end up with hair you love.

Would you consider dyeing your hair red? Let us know in the comments below.

Kate has worked for BEAUTYcrew since early 2016, first as a contributor, before being named Beauty Writer in 2017. She loves picking the brains of the industry's top experts to get to the bottom of beauty's toughest questions. Bronze eyeshadow palettes are her weakness and she's forever on the hunt for the perfect nude nail polish to suit her fair skin. Her words can also be found in Men's Health magazine.